Changing the meters’ display

You control the range and kind of units that the various meters display in the Track view, Track Inspector and Console view. The meters in each view can be configured independently.

You also have the option of using segmented or non-segmented meters, and you can customize the color of non-segmented meters.

To configure Track view meters

Click the Track view Options menu, point to Meter Options and select the desired settings on the submenu.

To configure Track Inspector meters

 

Note: This feature is not available in SONAR Home Studio.

Click the Display button at the bottom of the Track Inspector, point to Module Options > Meters and select the desired settings on the submenu.

To configure Console view meters

Click the Console view Options menu, point to Meters and select the desired settings on the submenu.

The following meter settings are available:

Menu option	What it does
Horizontal Meters (Track view only)	Choose this option to display the Track view meters horizontally instead of vertically.
Vertical Meters (Track view only)	Choose this option to display the Track view meters vertically instead of horizontally.
Show Numeric Peak Values (Track view only)	Choose this option to display peak values in each track header next to the Input Echo button (see also Peak markers).
Show Track Peak Markers (Track view only)	See Peak markers)
Show Bus Peak Markers (Track view only)	See Peak markers)
Reset All Meters	If a track clips, its meter shows a red clipping indicator. Click this button to reset the clipping indicator to its non-clipping state.
Peak	Choosing this option causes the meter to display the highest amplitude in the signal that occurs in a complete cycle of a frequency.
RMS	Choosing this option causes the meter to display more of an average of the amplitudes that occur in a complete cycle of a frequency. RMS, or Root-Mean-Square, is a little over seventy percent of peak level.
Peak + RMS	Choosing this option causes the meter to display both the RMS and peak levels. The RMS level is displayed by the solid bar on the left side of the meter, and the peak level is displayed as a small line that follows the RMS level just to the right of it.
Pre Fader/Post Fader (This option is for playback and bus meters only)	Choose Pre Fader or Post Fader to measure the playback level either before or after the track’s or bus’ volume fader.
Pre Fader/Post FX (This option is for the buses only)	Choose Pre Fader/Post FX to measure the bus volume before the fader, but after any real-time effects.
-12 dB....-90 dB	Choosing one of these numbers sets the scale of the meter to a certain range of dB. For example, choosing -90 dB sets the range of measurement of that meter to 90 dB. Note: You can also change the scale of a meter by right-clicking the meter to display a pop-up menu and choosing a new dB range.
Show Labels (Track view only)	Clicking this option hides or shows the dB markings on the meter. Hiding the markings shrinks the meter significantly, saving space.
Hold Peaks	Choosing this option causes the meter to display a small vertical line (the peak marker) that shows the peak level and then decays until a new peak is reached.
Lock Peaks	Choosing this option causes the meter to lock the peak marker at the highest level, until a higher level occurs.

Enabling mono on a bus/main will affect upstream meters

If you make a bus or main out mono by toggling its Mono/Stereo switch, any “upstream” meters—that is, meters on any tracks or buses that are assigned to the mono bus/main out—from the bus/main out will also display as mono.

Note: This only affects the meter display, not any audio that is bounced or exported.

 

See also:

What the meters measure

Hiding and showing meters

Segmented and non-segmented meters

To show vertical or horizontal meters in the Track view

Click the Track view Options menu, point to Meter Options and select Horizontal Meters or Vertical Meters.

To customize meter colors

1.	Go to Edit > Preferences > Customization - Colors.

2.	In the Color Category list, select Meters.

3.	Choose VU LO Level, VU HI Level, or VU Tick Marks, and select the desired color.

Note: Custom meter colors are only available when using non-segmented meters.